Obama can do more than play politics with the Palestinian-Israeli conflict
By Ray Hanania – Presumptive Democratic Presidential nominee Barack Obama did all the “right” things during his tour of the Middle East. It will help better define him in the eyes of Americans as “presidential material” and brush aside any concerns about whether he can or can’t be a commander in chief. He can. But doing the “right things” might not be enough to actually achieve Middle East peace. Obama needs to do more. He’s capable of it.
During his tour of Israel and Palestine, for example, his schedule played into American domestic politics, reinforcing the belief that Obama will meet all the requirements of an American President, a solid supporter of Israel.
He went right down the checklist of things he needs to do as a candidate: Obama met with Israel’s leaders and vowed continued, unwavering support for Israel’s security.
He visited the Yad Vashem to show respect for the Holocaust survivors and placed a wreath there in presidential fashion. He didn’t make any outrageous promises that he would have to “explain” or “clarify” on returning to the United States, as he did when he appeared before AIPAC, Israel’s powerful lobbying organization, and said Jerusalem would be its undivided capitol and later, having to explain he meant “through negotiations.”
He made the “empathy” visit with residents of Sdereot, the Israeli town targeted in Hamas Qassam missile strikes. He even went so far as to hammer Iran, offering tough-talk to minimize criticism of his “willing to talk to every nation” position which is the right thing to do, but becomes fodder for his critics.
On the other side, he did all the things that most American presidents are required to do during presidential elections. He minimized contact with the Palestinians, making no promises beyond supporting the vague notion of “a Palestinian State.”
He could have visited Palestinian hotspots where the Wall imprisons whole towns, like Qalqaliya, or standing at Shepherd’s Field near the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem where Israeli settler growth is consuming Palestinian West Bank land.
It will help him secure the presidential nomination, but it won’t do much to achieve peace. Palestinians can only hope that below the surface of “going through the right motions,” Obama will push for a resolution of the conflict that in fact does achieve a Palestinian State.
What Obama needs to do as a president requires more courage. One way is to define clear a “vision for peace” that not only reinforces the American commitments to Israel’s survival in a changing Middle East but that also shows more compassion for Palestinian rights. He needs to help take the American commitment to a Palestinian State and sow how he believes it can be a reality.
In the end, Israelis and Palestinians already know what the final peace accord looks like. They’ve seen it off-and-on. It was defined realistically at Taba after the Camp David Accords collapses in 2000. Even the touchy issues of Jerusalem and the Palestinian refugees can be resolved, with honesty on all sides. Most Palestinian refugees have said they will accept compensation as an alternative to returning to their lands and homes in Israel taken from them before the 1948 war, 60 years ago.
Until a Palestinian state is created, Israelis and Palestinians will remain at each other’s throats and allow opportunities for extremist violence on both sides, like the recent attack this week in Jerusalem by an Arab Israeli construction worker, will continue.
For Obama and the future of Palestinian-Israeli peace, leadership will be defined by stepping past not through the difficult rhetoric that draws out the emotions of both sides, and by standing firmly in the a vision of what peace can be that both sides already embrace.
That is clearly something Obama can do once he becomes president.
(Ray Hanania is an award winning columnist and author. He can be reached at
ww.TheMediaOasis.com or by email at rayhanania@comcast.net.)
July 24, 2008 -
Posted by
Ray Hanania |
Ray Hanania |
Barack Obama, Hamas, Israel, Jerusalem, occupation, Palestine, Palestinian Refugees, peace, presidential election, Qassam rockets, Sderot, Yad Vashem |
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RAY HANANIA writes for The HuffingtonPost.com. He is a political columnist based in Chicago with the Southwest News-Herald Newspaper, and publisher of the National Arab American Times Newspaper. Named Best Ethnic American Columnist for 2007 by the New America Media, Hanania is the host of Radio Chicagoland, a morning talk show (Mon-Fri, 8-9:30 am) on WJJG 1530 AM Radio. He is an internationally acclaimed standup comedian. He authors a Comic Strip called Ray Hanania's World. View his complete Bio?
ANISA MEHDI is an Emmy Award-winning journalist specializing in religion, the arts, and people. For over 20 years she has reported, written, directed and produced television news and documentary programs for major American media outlets, including National Geographic, PBS, ABC News, and CBS. Her commentaries have been heard on NPR’s “All Things Considered.” Ms. Mehdi is founder and president of Whetstone Productions, a New Jersey-based production and consulting company. She is adjunct Professor of Communications at Seton Hall University. She writes a twice weekly for the Newark Star-Ledger Newspaper blog. View her complete Bio?
SAFFIYA SHILLO is a peace activist, communications specialist and community editor for the National Arab American Times Newspaper. Ms. Shillo serves as a Board Member of the Palestinian American Women's Society. Her activism is extensive, having served as the former President of the Palestinian American Congress-Chicago Chapter, as a National Board member of the American Task Force on Palestine, and as Director of the Arab American Institute's Chicago office. Active in Jewish/Israeli-Palestinian dialogue, Ms. Shillo gives presentations to national organizations on strategies and methods to achieve peace through dialogue. Ms. Shillo also served as Director of Ethnic Affairs for the State of Illinois' Office of Lieutenant Governor, and worked as a domestic violence/sexual assault counselor serving Chicago's Arab community. She can be reached at smshillo@yahoo.com
ALADDIN ELAASAR is an award winning Arab American journalist and author of several books including Silent Victims: The plight of Arabs and Muslims in Post 9/11 America. Elaasar is also a member of the National Arab American Journalists Association. Email him at omaraladin@aol.com. His latest book is The Last Pharoah: Mubarak and the Uncertain Future of Egypt in the MidEast.
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